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The Kushan Empire, established by the Yuezhi in the Bactrian region around the early 1st century CE, expanded from Central Asia into northwest India under Emperor Kujula Kadphises. This empire, at its peak, covered areas that are now part of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India. The Kushans, likely a branch of the Yuezhi confederation with possible Tocharian origins,[15] migrated from northwestern China to Bactria, integrating Greek, Hindu, Buddhist, and Zoroastrian elements into their culture.
Kujula Kadphises, the dynasty's founder, embraced Greco-Bactrian cultural traditions and was a Shaivite Hindu. His successors, Vima Kadphises and Vasudeva II, also supported Hinduism, while Buddhism flourished under their rule, notably with Emperor Kanishka championing its spread to Central Asia and China. This era, marked by the "Pax Kushana," facilitated trade and cultural exchanges, including maintaining a road from Gandhara to China, boosting the spread of Mahayana Buddhism.[16]
India in the 2nd Century CE © Justus Perthes
The Kushans maintained diplomatic relations with the Roman Empire, Sasanian Persia, the Aksumite Empire, and Han China, positioning the Kushan Empire as a crucial trade and cultural bridge. Despite its significance, much of the empire's history is known from foreign texts, especially Chinese accounts, as they transitioned from Greek to Bactrian language for administrative purposes. Fragmentation in the 3rd century led to semi-independent kingdoms vulnerable to Sasanian westward invasions, forming the Kushano-Sasanian Kingdom in regions like Sogdiana, Bactria, and Gandhara. The 4th century saw further pressure from the Gupta Empire, and eventually, the Kushan and Kushano-Sasanian realms succumbed to the Kidarites and Hephthalites invasions.